I was asked the other day why we are still living in the DC area. We are at an age where most thoughtful people have moved to more comfortable and warmer environs. Almost anywhere we moved would be less expensive. But, hey, it’s only money. We have never really sat down and put together a plus and minus list. I suspect I know why. Let’s just say we are comfortable with out situation (except for all the steps in the house).
Then, again, how many of you have recently said hello to the President? So what if it was in the bathroom at the Fort Belvoir Golf Club. I’m not sure whether I would put that on the plus or minus list. It seems like he comes out to Fort Belvoir to play our golf courses every weekend, but it is probably just two to three times a month. The reason that meeting the President under these circumstances would go in the minus column has to do with the disruption he causes when he comes to play golf.
Of course, they never tell us he is coming, but I’m a quick study. When I pull into the parking lot and find that half of the lot is blocked off with distinctive green cones, I know we are in for a bad day.
I generally don’t play golf on Saturday. But, I do like to hit the driving range sometime over the weekend. Don’t want to lose the edge. Well, on three occasions I have not gotten away before his arrival. When he arrives, all cars are stopped. We are required to step out of our cars and stand next to them. Then we have to wait until he has warmed up and played the first two holes before they release us. I have waited 45 minutes in the parking lot before being released.
A couple of weeks ago, I finished up hitting balls and needed to pick Carole up at the Commissary. I headed back to my car. There were at least 50 secret service, MPs, state and county police and rent-a-cops around the area. I asked one of them if I could get out of the parking lot before he arrived. He told me, “You better hurry.” Hurry I did. I threw my clubs in the trunk and drove out of the lot in my golf shoes and golf glasses. I made it!
So this week, it is Saturday and we are doing our little run. I drop Carole off at the Commissary and slip over to the golf course to hit balls for 90 minutes (the edge). Carole says, “Well at least with the Syrian situation, you won’t have to worry about Obama showing up.” Wrong! Now I know why he passed the buck to Congress. So he could play golf on Saturday. When he announced on Saturday morning that he was going to request Congressional approval, was I the only one who noticed that he was wearing golf shoes?
When I got to the course, there were the infamous green cones. Three security personnel were standing by the main entrance. So as I walked by, I asked them if he was here yet. One fellow smiled at me and said, “Sir, I have no idea who you are talking about, but no one is here.” I smiled at him and said, “I don’t understand you, but thanks.”
I understand the security requirement. I’m not an Obama fan, but I certainly don’t want anything bad to happen to him. I’m good with the searches. They have portable wands for searching and I have even been sniffed by one of their big dogs. They asked me to stand still. I couldn’t have moved if I had wanted to. Nice Fido
Saying hello to the President under the above circumstances definitely goes in the minus column. But the Commissary and the golf courses and the great medical care go in the plus column. There needs to be a third column that is neither plus nor minus for such things as being able to go to a Wizards’ basketball game. In this electronic age, I can go bloggity-blog from anywhere. So why not West Springfield, Virginia?
We just lost one of our pluses. Our favorite Chinese buffet closed. The sign on the front door said, “Closed until further notice.” We made three trips back to check and finally the sign was gone. Carole inquired at the store next door and was advised that the closing involved the police and a rather nasty family dispute. Chinese buffets generally don’t survive nasty family disputes. Maybe the closing was a good thing. I am sure there are things you can get from a four-day-old General Tso’s chicken that aren’t yet listed in medical books.
I’ll bet some of you don’t even know what a Case-Lot Sale is. That’s when a whole lot of big trucks show up in a commissary parking lot and sell large volume items at ridiculously low prices. That’s a plus. Carole has never missed a Case-Lot Sale. Our basement looks like a well supplied bomb shelter for thirty people. However, because of the Sequestration, there were no Case-Lot Sales this year. So Mr. Obama was correct when he said that the Sequestration would make everyone suffer. Carole is really bitter.
I don’t think we are here because of inaction. Our children are spread out, so there is no place to move which would be closer to them. We like our house, but it is getting too big for us. But, if we don’t find another Chinese buffet pretty quickly, we may be out of here!
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com